Post-Race Reflections: Gratitude
SCE athlete, Rohit Singh, finds clarity in training after his first Ironman 70.3
It’s been about 10 days since I completed my first 70.3. After having some time to reflect and process everything I felt that day, one emotion rises above the rest: gratitude.
That gratitude didn’t just begin at the finish line — it started months earlier, in training. During long sessions, I found myself filled with appreciation for what my body was capable of.
I’m not the fastest runner,
the strongest cyclist,
or the smoothest swimmer,
but I began to feel deeply thankful for each part of me that made motion possible — for every muscle that helped take a step, power a pedal stroke, or pull me through the water.
For someone who’s often felt unfit or unhealthy in the past, this shift was profound. I stopped comparing myself to others and started simply being grateful for my body as it is.
Of course, not every session ended on such a warm and inspiring note. But even on the toughest days, I had something else to lean on:
my community.
I’m lucky to be surrounded by friends who train and race alongside me, and family who understand what this sport means to me.
On the days when I felt weak, tired, or burnt out, those voices reminded me that I didn’t have to set personal records every time. Their belief in me — especially when I struggled to believe in myself — was what helped carry me through to the finish.
There were moments in training when I was flooded with doubts.
Thoughts like: Why am I doing this? I’m not a good runner. I won’t be able to finish. I’ve only done a sprint — who am I to think I can do this?
Those thoughts lingered, all the way up to race day.
But when I finally crossed that line, I let go of them.
I broke down in tears — tears of relief, joy, and overwhelming gratitude.
To finish something I had dreamed about for so long, with some of the very people who supported me throughout the journey, is a feeling I’ll never forget.
During the race, I kept coming back to a poem by Joshua Lynott.
He writes about how, in a race, you often find yourself wishing for it to end — but it’s important to remember that this is exactly where you trained for months to be.
Why wish it away so quickly?
I found myself thinking about that often.
Yes, I wanted it to be over.
But I also paused to take in where I was: in beautiful Mont-Tremblant, on the edge of achieving something I had worked so hard for.
And in that clarity, everything came together.
